To all whom it may concern



M. H. HOWELL Cutting Soap. No. 63,898. Patented'Apl il 16,1867,

N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON, D, C.

nitrh iatrs jgdstrut titre.

MATTHIAS H. HOWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. Letters Patent No, 63,898, datedApril 16, 1867; antedated March 27, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOAP FRAMES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, MArTnIAs H. HOWELL, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SoapFrames; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in ivhich- Figure 1 is aplan or top view.

Figure 2 is a horizontaltransverse section taken in the line x w of fig.3.

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

Figure 4 is a detach d section showing the packing, which prevents theescape of the fluid soap at the bottom of the mould.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a soap frame which willpossess in a much higher degree than those heretofore constructed theadvantages of being more easily removed from the block of soap, ofhaving its parts securely fastened together when in use, of preventingthe leaking or,eseape of the soap from the bottom, and of having itssides so strengthened as to prevent them from being bulged outward bythe pressure of the mass of soap within them. It consists in thedivision of the upright portion of the frame vertically and diagonallyto its sides into two halves or parts, and in a novel mode of connectingthe said halves or parts, whereby they are held very securely together,at the same time that great facility is afforded for opening them whenrequired and removing them from the block of soap and from the base orbottom of the frame. It also consists in a novel arrangement of suitablepacking around the lower parts'oi' the vertical portions of the frame,between such vertical portions and the base or bottom, whereby a tightjoint will be formed around the said bottom of the frame. It furtherconsists in one or more trusses arranged diagonally upon each side ofthe frame and used in connection with diagonal crossed braces ofangle-iron in such a way as to strengthen the said sides against theoutward pressure of the enclosed mass of soap.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of myinvention, I will proceed. to describe it with reference to thedrawings.

A is the base or bottom of the frame, and is supported upon smallwheels, a. A rebate, B, is formed around the edge or periphery of thisbottom, in which are placed the lower parts or edges of the verticalparts of the frame, as represented in figs. 3 and 4. The vertical partof the frame is rectangular in shape, and is divided vertically into twohalves or portions, D D, the division being vertical and diagonal fromone corner to another, as shown at b b in figs. l and 2, the tworemaining corners, c 0, being left solid. Each of the halves or portionsD is made of sheet iron, bent into suitable form and stiffened andstrengthened in the manner hereinafter fully set forth, these two halvesbeing placed together with their lower edges in the rebate 13 andsurrounding the raised portion of the bottom A, and thus constitutingthe vertical part of the rectangular frame, into which the fluid orscmi-finid soap is poured and allowed to harden into a block, the framebeing open at the top to permit the admission of the soap. The twohalves D are connected and secured together as follows: Upon one of thevertical edges of each half, D, at the divided corners b b, is hinged avertical locking bar, e, which is provided with a hasp,f, which fitsupon and over a staple, g, on the opposite half of the frame, and isfirmly held thereon by a pin or key, 1. The hinges i of each bar eproject outward a short distance, as el'ea-rlyshown in figs. 2 and 3,and the said bars are so formed that a narrow space or slit,j, is formedbetween the inner edge of the said bar eand the vertical edge to whichit is hinged. Situated at suitable distances apart upon the adjacentvertical edge of the opposite half D of the frame are a series of hookedlugs, n, which project into the space or slit j, when the haspfissecured upon the staple g, as hereinbefore mentioned, and-being firmlypressed against the inner side of the said bar a, securely lock the twocontiguous edges of the two halves D together and prevent them frombeing forced apart by the outward pressure of the soap within them,there being one of these bars e, with its appurtenances, at cach of thedivided corners b b, as aforesaid. When it is desired to turn one-halfof the vertical part of the frame outward upon the other, as shown inred lines in figs. 1 and 3, one of the pins 7 is removed from its stapleg, and the bar 0 connected therewith is turned back upon its hinges 2'clear 'of the legs at, acting upon it so as to allow either half, D, ofthe frame to he swung or turned outward upon the hlnges 2' at theopposite corner I) of the frame. Both'halves of the frame can thus beremoved from the block of soap by opening only one of the cornersb, orthey can be removed separately by disconnecting them at both of the saidcorners in the manner just explained. To prevent the soap beforehardening from escaping or leaking from the bottom of the frame, apacking composed of one or more strips of India rubber-or other suitablematerial, is placed in the rebate 13 upon andaround the outer edge orperiphery of the raised portion of the bottom A, as clearly shown at uin fig. 4, in such a way that when the two halves of the frame aresecured upon the said bottom, as hereinbefore fully described thepacking a will be tightly clamped between the said halves of the frameand the said raised portion of the bottom, and thus form a tight jointto prevent the escape of the soap. In order toprevont the broad sides ofthe frame from being bulged outward by the pressure of the soapcontained therein, each of the said sides is stiffened by diagonalcrossed braces h 7!, made of angle-ironantl secured to the sides by anysuitable means. Each of these braces extends from one of the lowercorners of the side to which it is attached diagonally across the saidside to the opposite upper corner, the two braces on each side of theframe crossing each other in the centre, as shown in fig. 3. Incombination with these crossed braces 0f angle-iron are used diagonaltrusses, w, represented in figs. land 2, these trusses being firmlysecured longitudinally upon the diagonal braces 7t, and there being oneor more of the said trussesupon each of the broad sides of the frame.The said sides of the frame may be still further stiffened by turningtheir upper-and lower edges over to form flanges, as shown at y andz,fig. 3.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The frame, divided vertically and diagonally through two corners intotwo parts or halves, substantially as herein set forth for the purposespecified.

2. The hinged locking bars c and lugs n, arranged with reference to'each other and operating to lock the two parts or halves of the frametogether substantially as herein set forth.

3. The packing uwithin the rebate around the base or bottom B, incombination with the diagonally divided upright portions of the frame,substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.

4.. The diagonal trusses w, arranged with reference to the diagonalcrossed braces I: it, and with the sides of the frame, substantially asherein set forth for the purpose specified.

M. H. HOWELL.

' Witnesses:

J. W. OooMBs, A. Ln CLERC.

